Race Relations

The Sydney University professor suspended over racist emails has taken legal action against the website that published them.

The Federal Court has ordered online news site New Matilda not to publish further details about Barry Spurr's leaked emails, which referred to Prime Minister Tony Abbott as an "Abo-lover" and made references to "Mussies" and "Chinky-poos".

Professor Spurr, who was also a consultant to the Federal Government's national English curriculum review, was widely criticised over the emails after New Matilda published extracts last week.

Lawyers for Professor Spurr argued the publication of the emails breached the Privacy Act, and the court granted an injunction preventing publication of any more details before another court hearing on Thursday.

A professor accused of sending racist and sexually abusive emails has been suspended by the University of Sydney.

University of Sydney Professor Barry Spurr, consultant to the Federal Government's national English curriculum review, referred to Prime Minister Tony Abbott as an "Abo-lover" and Nelson Mandela as a "darky".

A poetry specialist, Professor Spurr defended the emails, telling news website New Matilda they were mainly to one recipient and were part of a "whimsical" game.

In a statement, the University of Sydney said "Professor Spurr [was] suspended, effective immediately, from teaching and engaging in any other university business and is precluded from attending any university campus while the matter is investigated and dealt with."

A police officer from the strife-hit Missouri city of Ferguson was shot while responding to a burglary in an incident that was not believed to be related to protests in the town rocked by the shooting of a black teenager last month.

The officer was chasing two suspects outside the Ferguson Community Center when one turned and shot him in the arm, St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told a news conference.

The officer, who is expected to survive, returned fire but apparently did not hit either suspect, he said.

Fiji's military chief has condemned former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka for comments he made that Fiji's Muslim population could face a backlash if detained Fijian peacekeepers are harmed in the Golan Heights.